1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a shelf device for a refrigerated beverage display case and more particularly to a space saving glide rack for allowing increased product choices and to optimize inventory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Refrigerated display cases (also called coolers) for beverage containers typically include a plurality of shelves having a series of racks, upon which beverage containers are loaded and displayed for sale. The beverage containers may be cans or bottles of any size and the width of the glide racks are adjusted to accommodate each particular type of container.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional rack 10 is designed to rest on a shelf 18 and position multiple upright beverage containers 11 into uniform rows 12-17. However, as only the first beverage container in each row is accessible to a consumer, it is not possible to stock different products in the same row. Moreover, as different beverages are consumed at different rates, a situation can occur in which one row contains enough product for a week's worth of sales, and an adjacent row only contains enough product for a single day.
This inefficient use of the available cooler space prevents retailers from maximizing the space in their display cases and reduces the number of products they can offer, thus reducing potential profits.
Accordingly, the need exists for a glide rack capable of allowing an increased number of different beverage containers to be accessible by a consumer without occupying additional space in the display case.